I had every intention of importing the original Conception game on PSP, but ultimately forgot about it. Thankfully (?), Atlus will be bringing Conception II on Vita and 3DS over to North America sometime in 2014! Conception, as you might guess from the name, is all about making babies. Except, instead of regular conception, the baby is born through pouring energy into a device alongside a "Star Maiden," after which your progeny skip the baby stage to become children who fight for you. That was possibly the weirdest sentence I have ever written. The dungeon-crawling and combat aspects look solid, so, ridiculously stupid/awesome premise aside, Conception II will be one to look forward to.

Writeup by Andrew Barker

Bravely Default

Release: February 7, 2014 • Platform: 3DS

Although it's the spiritual successor to a game some of us may not have played, Bravely Default looks like the beginning of a franchise all its own. Immediately remarkable for its art design, this traditional JRPG features engaging combat and, even better, an addictive job system. Determining strategies by combining each job's unique abilities ought to prove both challenging and satisfying, and the game also seems to include everything one has come to expect from a JRPG. Greig tells us that the characters are likeable, even if the story sometimes isn't, but good characters trump plot anyway. Perhaps best of all, we might finally figure out what it means to default bravely.

Writeup by Kyle E. Miller

Blackguards

Release: 2014 • Platforms: PC, Mac

Although already available on Steam as an Early Access release, Blackguards will be something quite different in its full form. The developers are listening to player feedback, and they've already promised to include a character generator in the full version; a considerable step forward compared to the current choice of just three protagonists. Blackguards' turn-based combat is old school in a good way: complicated, difficult, and a little arcane. Combine that with a unique cast of dark and flawed characters and Daedalic has us excited.

Writeup by Kyle E. Miller

The Wolf Among Us

Release: 2014 • Platforms: PC, Mac, PS3, 360, PS Vita, iOS

I'm the only person in history that didn't get into The Walking Dead. While I'm by no means an opponent of zombie-filled storylines, something about the world in TWD just didn't grab me, which was a shame, because its mix of decision-making, tight plotting, and engaging characters wrapped up in adventure gaming tropes should have been a home run for this guy. Enter Sheriff Bigby Wolf: featuring many of the same gameplay conceits as its undead predecessor, The Wolf Among Us is an utterly compelling noir-style mystery storyline with fascinating faces and a razor-sharp sense of style. We've already gotten one episode, and it has me absolutely gnawing at gates for another. This is one story I'll be seeing through to its conclusion in 2014, and certainly one of my most anticipated.

Writeup by Stephen Meyerink

Tales from the Borderlands

Release: 2014 • Platforms: TBD

I'm the biggest Borderlands fan on staff. Don't listen to anyone else. Seriously, it's me. I didn't have to be convinced, I was there at day one. ME! So, when I tell you that I am utterly stoked at the prospect of Telltale's signature blend of gameplay being melded with the bizarre sometimes-serious-but-also-tongue-in-cheek-hilarious world of Pandora and the Vault Hunters, you know I mean it. Each of the main characters in Borderlands has had lots of backstory hinted at (especially in Borderlands 2) in the original games, and there's a whole big world of side characters, subplots, and interesting lore to explore with what I assume will be this upcoming episodic adventure series. Telltale's art style meshes well with that of the Borderlands games, too, so big fans surely won't feel far from home when we finally get the chance to dig into this one. Color me "super-excited."

Writeup by Stephen Meyerink

Hopeful #2: Final Fantasy XV

Release: TBD • Platforms: PS4, Xbox One

After many years, Final Fantasy Versus XIII (long thought to be vaporware) finally re-emerged at E3 2013. It had gone through a startling metamorphosis from Final Fantasy XIII spin-off into a game of its own: Final Fantasy XV. The trailer showed off gorgeous characters and locations and proved that the core story and gameplay conceits of Versus XIII were still intact. It looked incredible and got the entire RPG world excited.

So, of course, we hope it's coming out in 2014. The sooner, the better! Considering all the delays the game has suffered up until this point, it seems rather unlikely, but we have to hope! If not, Final Fantasy XV may fall to the same fate as Versus XIII, becoming a handful of pretty trailers and a lingering footnote in Square Enix history. Plus, did you see those red-soled shoes? Damn, that's cool!